


His brother's keeper

by alphabetgirl



Category: EastEnders
Genre: Angst, Ben Mitchell Loves Callum "Halfway" Highway, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Fluff, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Callum "Halfway" Highway, Protective Jay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28088988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alphabetgirl/pseuds/alphabetgirl
Summary: Set after the arrest. Jay goes to check on Ben after he is released from the police station. Ben tells him what really happened on the night when Ian was attacked. Will Jay have any brotherly words of advice?No slash between Ben and Jay. All love and affection between the two of them is purely brotherly.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Kudos: 33





	His brother's keeper

**Author's Note:**

> Because we haven't had enough jay/ben brother scenes this year.

Jay had been suprised to learn that Ben had been let go just a couple of hours after being arrested. He had thought that he would be there overnight at least. But, apparently Ian had phoned the station to say that he had made a mistake and that it hadn't been Ben. Jay had no doubt that Ian's sudden contrariness had nothing to do with brotherly affection and everything to do with being worried about how Phil would react.

Callum had phoned Jay to ask him to check on Ben when he got home.

" _I offered to tell my boss I had a headache and come home with him," he had said "But he refused to let me. He said that it would be obvious that I was skiving off,"_

_Jay could hear his worry down the phone._

_"He just won't want you to get into trouble,"._

_"There is that, but...he's been...different with me lately,"_

_"Different how?"_

_"Pushing me away, trying to avoid me, being constantly tense whenever I'm near him. I believe that he didn't hit Ian, but there is something else going on with him, and he won't tell me,"._

_"I'll talk to him,"_

"I didn't do it," Ben said shortly, as a way of greeting once Jay entered the Mitchell home. "Ian is an idiotic, paranoid wreck and Jack is vindictive enough when it comes to me to believe him,".

Jay held both hands up in a placating gesture.

"You won't get arguments from me on any of that, bruv,"

He knew Ben well enough to not take his defensiveness to heart, understanding that there was always a part of him that was just waiting for the people he loved to 'see sense' and turn on him.

"Hey, it's me," he said, stepping forwards and opening his arms.

For a moment, he didn't think the other man would respond before the younger stepped into them.

"I've always got your back," Jay said softly, tightening his grip when he realised that his brother was shaking slightly. "Come on, Nutter,".

They ended up sat side by side on the sofa, Ben showing his vulnerable side by leaning against Jay's side. The younger man usually treated arrests like a trip to the dentist, a mild inconvenience that was forgotten about by evening, but it was clear that this one had shaken him up more than usual. A more serious crime, Jay supposed, and one that he didn't do. There was something else though, something he couldn't quite put his finger on, backing up Callum's claim.

"How are things with lover boy?" Jay asked, as a way of broaching it with him.

"I don't want to talk about him," Ben practically spat. The sharp, angry tone in his voice took the other man by surprise.

"He's worried about you,"

Ben snorted. "If that's the case then why...."

"Why what?"

"Doesn't matter," Ben said thickly.  
The tears that had suddenly filled his eyes took Jay by surprise and he pulled him back down when the younger man tried to move away.

"Come back," he said, gently but firmly, tucking him under his arm again. "What is going on with you two?"

Ben deliberated for a few seconds.

"I didn't lie about not attacking Ian,"

"I know. Callum knows that too,".

"But he is lying though," Ben sniffed.

"Callum?! About what?"

"Me and Ian got into a row in the Vic. Before he got hit," Ben started " He told me that Callum was working undercover for the police, trying to put my dad behind bars,"

"And you believed him?" Jay asked incredulously.

"Not to start with. I pushed him and he fell into one of the tables. He knocked a few glasses over as well and they smashed but I swear that he didn't hit his head,"

Jay tightened his hold, rubbing his back when he sensed that his brother was getting distressed again.

"I believe you," he murmured, pressing a light kiss to the younger man's hair.

"I told him that he deserved everything that he got, and then I left. I didn't believe him straight away, I thought that he was just making it up out of spite. But then I realised that it made a lot of things make sense,"

"Like what?"

"All the secrecy. How stressed Callum has looked lately. Phone calls he doesn't want me to know anything about. Needing to see his boss at the drop of a hat. The bug that turned up at the Arches,".

Jay sat in silence for a couple of seconds, pondering his answer. When he heard it like that, it did sound strange.

"That doesn't...that doesn't mean that he is betraying you,".

Ben scoffed.

"How'd you figure that one out?"

"Because he loves you," Jay replied. "Everyone can see that he is head over heels in love with you, no one is that good of an actor,".

"Then why is he doing this?"

"I don't know," Jay groaned "I don't know. But I do know Callum. He wouldn't willingly do anything to hurt you so there must be more to it than what Ian is saying,"

Ben said nothing, just gnawed on his bottom lip and Jay knew that he was getting through to him.

"Callum is a good bloke. If he is doing what Ian says, then it must be because the alternative is worse,".

"But what is the alternative?"

"I don't know, bruv. The only person who knows the answer to that is Callum," Jay replied, running his fingers through the dark hair "You need to talk to him,".

"No," the flat out refusal came.

"You need to,"

"Why? So he can carry on lying to me?"

"Just tell him what you've told me. It is the only way that this can get resolved, because at the minute, it isn't doing either of you any good,"

"What if there is no good reason?" Ben asked, eyes starting to well up again.

"Then he doesn't deserve you," Jay answered, pulling his brother closer "And you have dodged a bullet," _And Callum Highway will be the next Albert Square resident to get his head kicked in if I have anything to do with it._

Ben snuggled closer to Jay's side, closing his eyes.

"I wish that you were my only big brother,"

"So do I," Jay replied, barely audibly.

The door opened a short time later and Callum entered with a tired and drawn expression, which instantly turned tender as he took Ben in, leaving Jay with absolutely no doubt on how much the man loved his brother. Ben's eyes were still tightlyshut, but he wasn't asleep. Just putting off the inevitable, Jay deducted.

"Jay," Callum said by way of greeting.

"Alright, mate," Jay asked softly, nudging Ben to try to get him to lift his head from his shoulder.

"Hey," Callum said softly, stroking his boyfriend's hair gently, showing that he also knew that Ben wasn't really asleep "How are you feeling?"

Ben shrugged, tense against Jay's side.

"A bit shaken up, aren't you," Jay answered for him, his words drawing a sympathetic noise from the police officer.

"If it is any consolation, the police who arrested you are now crapping themselves," Callum said, toying with the younger man's ear.

That got Ben's attention as he turned to look at the other man.

"Why?!"

"Concerns have been raised about Ian's mental state, and the reliability of anything he says," Callum stated. "He has been so contrary throughout this so far, and it is now believed that today's arrest may have been heavy handed. Asking you to come down to the station to answer questions would have been better,"

Ben managed to smirk at that, as Jay sat him upright.

"You shouldn't be telling me that, should you?"

"Nope," Callum replied, popping the P. "But after the way you were treated I don't give a toss,".

Ben chuckled despite himself.

"Coffee?" Callum asked, stroking his boyfriend's chin softly.

"Please,"

"See, he loves you," Jay whispered when Callum headed towards the kitchen. "Talk to him,".

"Coffee, Jay?" Callum called from the kitchen.

"Thanks but I'd better be getting off," Jay replied, standing up and ruffling the Mitchell's hair.

"Keep your cool," he instructed a now nervous looking Ben as he headed towards the door "Text me if you need me,".

"See you later, mate," Callum said as he passed him on the way back from the kitchen with two steaming mugs.

"See you later. Look after Ben," the last part was said in a serious tone.

"I always do," Callum replied sincerely.

Jay smiled. "That's what I like to hear,".

The last thing he saw before exiting the Mitchell residence was Callum fussing over a red mark on Ben' wrist, presumably caused by handcuffs, bringing the injury to his lips to press a gentle kiss on it.

"Yeah, they'll be fine," he muttered to himself before heading for home.

**Author's Note:**

> I genuinely don't think that Ben hit Ian and after last night's events and everything that is going on with Callum, Ben would definitely need his brother. 
> 
> Ian is apparently going to accuse Ben again next week. I doubt Ben will be charged with the crime, but if he were to be, I don't know how well Ian's testimony against him would hold up in court given his mental state and how he keeps on chopping and changing his mind.


End file.
